"Dark Regards: A Comic's Outrageous Origin Story"

Dark Regards stands out as one of the most captivating new indie comics in recent times, boasting a backstory as wild and thrilling as the comic itself. Dive into our exclusive preview of Dark Regards #1 and decide for yourself.

Explore the slideshow gallery below for a sneak peek at the new series, but be warned—some content may include NSFW language!

Oni Press' Dark Regards #1: Preview Gallery

13 Images

Dark Regards is the creative brainchild of the multifaceted Dave Hill, known for his talents as a comedian, writer, and musician, alongside the skilled artist Artyom Topilin, renowned for his work on Cruel Universe and I Hate This Place. This four-issue series draws inspiration from Hill's unique experience of forming a fictional Satanic metal band named Witch Taint, which led to a whirlwind of unexpected chaos.

Here's how Oni Press describes the series:

Two decades ago, Dave Hill and his first band set out to rock their high school auditorium with a fury of heavy metal hellfire. They failed miserably. Years later, Dave has carved out a new life for himself as a rising star in New York's comedy scene—where getting laughed at on stage is the goal, not a tragic mishap. But when Dave's metal ambitions are reignited by the über self-serious, "Satanic" genre of Norwegian black metal, he creates a hilariously hyperbolic alter ego and a band to match. Together, they reignite the spark of his forgotten rock 'n roll fantasy. But when Dave's internet-fueled rumors about Witch Taint—a metal band "so extreme that you must remove all sharp objects from the immediate area" when their music is played—spread to Europe, his story spirals dangerously out of control. Norway's most extreme black metal butchers come seeking revenge, putting everything and everyone Dave holds dear in the crosshairs (of their axes, which, truth be told, don't actually have crosshairs, but hey, it's a metaphor).

Dave Hill shared his story in a statement: “A few years back, I sat down in my underwear late one night and let my obsession with Norwegian black metal run wild. I emailed a Norwegian black metal record label, claiming all their bands sucked despite never having listened to them, and suggested they sign my extremely extreme black metal band Witch Taint, which didn't even exist beyond its name, which I'd just made up. This first email led to months of correspondence with the label, never meant for public eyes. But the internet being the internet, many people saw it, and things got nuts. Now, beyond my wildest dreams, this story has become my first comic book series, Dark Regards, written by me and illustrated by the amazing Artyom Topilin. If you don't devour every single issue, you're basically insane.”

Dark Regards #1 is priced at $4.99 and will hit shelves on May 13, 2025.

For more exclusive comic book previews, don't miss a look at the final issue of TMNT: The Last Ronin II and the Dark Knight Returns-inspired Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell.